Our view: Breed restrictions should be revisited

Friday

Nov 15, 2013 at 2:00 AM

The report of a Pit Bull attack on a 65-year-old woman in Wilton this week will certainly re-ignite the debate over whether certain dog breeds are more dangerous than others, and what, if any, restrictions should be put in place for the public's safety.

As of today, there's very little that can be done. Legislation that prohibits communities from banning specific dog breeds was enacted this past session. But perhaps that issue is worth re-visiting in the next legislative session.

We opposed the legislation, not because we favor adopting breed-specific restrictions but rather because we felt it was an issue better addressed on the local level and not by some sweeping state mandate.

During the legislative debate on the measure, we heard from readers and owners of Pit Bulls who feel that particular breed is often singled out unfairly as overly aggressive and/or dangerous. And we don't deny that their experiences with their own pets paint a much different picture of Pit bBlls than the image often portrayed in news accounts of attacks.

It is worth noting that Pit Bulls are not the only dog breed that has attacked humans and other dogs. Pit Bulls do, however, posses formidable strength and determination. They are not inherently vicious, but they were bred to fight. Any dog can become violent, and their aggressiveness is more likely the result of how they are treated by their owners.

But it's also true that Pit Bull attacks are not simply isolated incidents. The recent attack in Winsted is just one of many.

According to DogBites.org, Pit Bulls were responsible for 23 of the 38 fatal dog attacks in the United States in 2012. In the eight year period from 2005 to 2012, Pit Bulls killed 151, 60 percent of the total deaths reported from dog attacks. German Shepherds and Rottweilers are also involved in as many, if not more, dog attacks.

As noted previously, we are not endorsing restrictions on any particularly breed of dog. We do believe, however, that decision of whether any such restrictions be implemented be left to local communities.

Clarification: In Friday's editorial on Pit Bulls, our reference to German Shepherds and Rottewillers being involved in as many dog attacks as Pit Bulls was in relationship to non-fatal attacks. That point was not clear.